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Showing results 41 - 50 of 51

Figure 41 Groundwater use in Australia as a percentage of total water consumption

Source: Deloitte Access Economics (2013)

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Figure 42 Surface-water systems in Australia where trading occurred in 2019–20

Source: BOM (2021a)

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Figure 43 Median allocation price against storage volume (% full) volume, southern Murray–Darling Basin, 2008–09 to 2019–20

ML = megalitre

Note: Only shows storages that facilitate water trades.

Source: BOM (2021a)

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Table 1 Australian drainage divisions

Name	Area (km²)	Average rainfall (mm)	Major rivers	Drains to
North East Coast	451,000	827	Suttor River, Belyando River, Nogoa River	Coral Sea (Pacific Ocean)
South East Coast (NSW)	129,500	995	Manning River, Karuah River, Hunter River, Hawkesbury River	Tasman Sea (Pacific Ocean)
South East Coast (Vic)	134,600	734	Thomson River (Vic), Macalister River, Snowy River, Yarra River, Glenelg River	Southern Ocean, Bass Strait
Tasmania	68,000	1,398	River Derwent, Gordon River, Huon River, South Esk River	Southern Ocean, Bass Strait, Tasman Sea (Pacific Ocean)
Murray–Darling Basin	1,061,000	458	Murray River, Darling River, Murrumbidgee River, Lachlan River	Southern Ocean
South Australian Gulf	117,700	306	River Torrens, Onkaparinga River, Gawler River, Broughton River	Great Australian Bight (Southern Ocean)
South Western Plateau	1,093,000	232	none	Great Australian Bight (Southern Ocean)
South West Coast	326,000	439	Avon River, Blackwood River	Indian Ocean, Great Australian Bight (Southern Ocean)
Pilbara–Gascoyne	478,000	259	Greenough River, Murchison River	Indian Ocean
North Western Plateau	716,000	316	De Grey River	Indian Ocean
Tanami–Timor Sea Coast	1,162,000	656	Ord River, Alligator Rivers, Daly River, Katherine River, Fitzroy River	Timor Sea (Indian Ocean)
Lake Eyre Basin	1,281,000	242	Georgina River, Diamantina River, Thomson River (Qld), Barcoo River, Cooper Creek	Lake Eyre
Carpentaria Coast	647,000	744	Mitchell River, Flinders River, Gilbert River, Leichhardt River	Gulf of Carpentaria, Arafura Sea

km² = square kilometre; mm = millimetre; NSW = New South Wales; Qld = Queensland; Vic = Victoria

For more information, go toWater sources

Table 2 Volume of water sourced from desalination in each urban centre

City	2016–17		2017–18		2018–19		2019–20
City	Volume (ML)	% of total	Volume (ML)	% of total	Volume (ML)	% of total	Volume (ML)	% of total
Adelaide	4,000	3	4,300	3	4,815	1.8	40,001	15
Canberra	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Darwin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Melbourne	46,000	11	15,000	3	22,374	3	119,471	16
Perth	149,000	53	149,000	52	89,295	30	140,048	44
South-east Queensland	2,000	<1	2,800	1	6,438	1.6	13,805	3.3
Sydney	0	0	0	0	7,793	0.8	71,147	7

ML = megalitre

Sources: Urban National Performance Report (BOM 2018d, BOM 2019b, BOM 2020b, BOM 2021f)

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Table 3 Major events and Indigenous policy responses involving water, 2016–20

Year	Major event	Response or action, Indigenous and non-Indigenous
2016	NSW drought	Fitzroy River/Martuwarra Declaration is made in Western Australia. Victorian Government releases the Water for Victoria water plan, committing $9.7 million to Aboriginal water. National Water Infrastructure Development Fund is established. National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility provides state and territory governments with loans for water infrastructure projects. Change in leadership at NSW DPI Water (still Liberal government) abolishes the Aboriginal Water Initiative structure and team. Northern Territory opposition makes a pre-election promise to revisit Strategic Indigenous Reserves.
2017	NSW drought	Module to the NWI guidelines is published: Engaging Indigenous peoples in water planning and management (COAG). NT Government releases stakeholder discussion paper on Strategic Aboriginal Water Reserves (SAWRs) and then legislates SAWRs. Victorian DELWP begins recruiting staff for the Aboriginal Water Unit. Book by Dr Virginia Marshall is launched: Overturning aqua nullius: securing Aboriginal water rights. Pumped airs on ABC 4 Corners, resulting in NSW ministers and executive being referred to ICAC. In Victoria, Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act 2017; involves the response and actions of establishing the Birrarung Council, Yarra Collaboration Committee, Yarra Strategic Plan and the Wurundjeri Water Policy. South Australian Royal Commission into MDB is held (noting that Australian Government staff are not approved to be cross-examined). NSW Ombudsman report published: Investigation into water compliance and enforcement 2007 to 2017. Productivity Commission (December 2017) final report on national water reform is released on 31 May 2018. MDBA Compliance Review 2017 is held.
2018	NSW drought Darling River fish deaths	Productivity Commission 5-year review of the MDB Plan begins. National Cultural Flows Research Project findings are launched by NBAN and MLDRIN. Northern Connectivity Event 2018 is conducted between April and July 2018 by CEWO and NSW to connect and replenish remaining water holes in the Barwon–Darling River. Two independent science studies (both with no Aboriginal members) into lower Baaka/Barka – Darling River fish deaths are conducted, one by the Academy of Science and one for MDBA by Vertessy et al (2019). Australian and New Zealand guidelines for fresh and marine water quality are updated and released in 2018; the guidelinesinclude the development of cultural and spiritual guidelines and Indigenous principles for water quality. The Australian Government provides $40 million to purchase water entitlements for Indigenous people in the MDBA.
2019	Australian catastrophic bushfires	Australian Journal of Environmental Management special edition on Indigenous water management is published, with 6 papers with Indigenous authors. The Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is created in a machinery-of-government move. The Flow – Monitoring, Evaluation and Research program is awarded by CEWO to CSIRO and University of Canberra.
2020	Australian catastrophic fires COVID-19 global pandemic Rain finally comes in most of MDB	The documentary When the river runs dry is screened, showing the impact of dry rivers on the Australian landscape. Australian Government review of the EPBC Act is conducted, and Samuels releases Final report of the independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). SoE 2021 includes Indigenous lead and co-authors for chapters for the first time. Productivity Commission releases review into NWI. National Water Reform Committee is re-established (originally established in 2014). Australian Government, states and territories agree to establish Committee on Aboriginal Water Interests to give a voice to Aboriginal people through the NWI refresh. National Agreement on Closing the Gap (2020) includes Outcome 15: People maintain a distinctive cultural, spiritual, physical and economic relationship with their land and waters. Report is released of the NSW ICAC investigation into complaints of corruption in the management of water in New South Wales and systemic noncompliance with the Water Management Act 2000.

CEWO = Commonwealth Environmental Water Office; COAG = Council of Australian Governments; DELWP = Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning; DPI = Department of Primary Industries; EPBC Act = Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; ICAC = Independent Commission Against Corruption; MDB = Murray–Darling Basin; MDBA = Murray–Darling Basin Authority; MLDRIN = Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations; NBAN = Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations; NSW = New South Wales; NT = Northern Territory; NWI = National Water Initiative; SoE = state of the environment

Sources: Stewart (2013), DENR (2017a), Northern and Central Land Councils (2017), Taylor et al. (2017), Moggridge & Thompson (2021a)

For more information, go toIndigenous water

Table 4 Water salinity and primary suitability for use

Salinity category	Total dissolved solids concentration (mg/L)	Suitability for use
Fresh	0–500	Good-quality water suitable for drinking and all irrigation
Marginal	500–1,000	Fair- to poor-quality drinking water; suitable for most irrigation; adverse effects on ecosystems may become apparent
Brackish	1,000–3,000	Unacceptable-quality drinking water; useful for most livestock; irrigation limited to certain crops
Saline	3,000–35,000	Unacceptable drinking water quality; use may be limited for certain livestock
Hypersaline	>35,000	Seawater salinity or greater; undrinkable; some mining and industrial uses

mg/L = milligrams per litre

For more information, go toWater quality

Table 5 Percentage of sites in each salinity category, 2016–17 to 2019–20

Saline category	2016–17	2017–18	2018–19	2019–20
Fresh	58	61	59	60
Marginal	15	14	15	12
Brackish	12	11	12	11
Saline	14	14	14	17

For more information, go toWater quality

Table 6 Progress of water resource plans, February 2021

Jurisdiction	Water Resource Plan	Percentage complete	Progress
ACT	ACT Surface Water	100	Plan accredited
ACT	ACT Groundwater	100	Plan accredited
NSW	Gwydir Surface Water	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Macquarie–Castlereagh	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Lachlan Surface Water	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Gwydir Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Lachlan Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Macquarie–Castlereagh Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	NSW Border Rivers Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Namoi Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Murray Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Murrumbidgee Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	NSW Border Rivers	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Barwon–Darling	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Namoi Surface Water	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Murrumbidgee	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	NSW Murray Lower Darling	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Intersecting Streams	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Darling Alluvium	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Murray–Darling Basin Porous Rock	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	NSW GAB Shallow	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
NSW	Murray–Darling Basin Fractured Rock	80	Final plan submitted for assessment
Qld	Warrego Paroo Nebine	100	Plan accredited
Qld	Condamine–Balonne	100	Plan accredited
Qld	Qld Border Rivers–Moonie	100	Plan accredited
SA	SA Murray Region	100	Plan accredited
SA	Eastern Mount Lofty Ranges	100	Plan accredited
Vic	Wimmera–Mallee Groundwater	100	Plan accredited
Vic	Wimmera–Mallee Surface Water	100	Plan accredited
Vic	Goulburn–Murray	100	Plan accredited
Vic	Northern Victoria	100	Plan accredited
Vic	Victorian Murray	100	Plan accredited
SA	River Murray	100	Plan accredited

ACT = Australian Capital Territory; NSW = New South Wales; Qld = Queensland; SA = South Australia; Vic = Victoria

Source: MDBA (2021c)

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Table 7 Volumes of allocation and entitlements traded for all of Australia, 2016–17 to 2019–20

Year	Surface-water allocation trade (GL)	Surface-water entitlement trade (GL)	Groundwater allocation trade (GL)	Groundwater entitlement trade (GL)
2016–17	6,840	1,732	197	341
2017–18	7,290	1,229	236	369
2018–19	5,518	1,317	281	414
2019–20	5,956	1,553	319	408

GL = gigalitre

Sources: BOM (2018a), BOM (2019e), BOM (2020c), BOM (2021a)

For more information, go toManagement approaches